“Never fear,” was Perk’s encouraging reply. “It isn’t my style to desert a fellow when he’s in trouble. Let go his collar, Coulte, or I’ll pull you overboard.”
“Whew! Whew! Everydings is going wrong again,” exclaimed the old Frenchman; and the boys knew from the tones of his voice and the manner in which he spoke that he was struggling desperately with some one. “Ah! oui! everydings. Leave go, Meester Perkins.”
“Now just listen to me a moment and I’ll tell you what is a fact: let go yourself, or come out of that boat.”
“Take that! and that!” shouted Pierre; and then came the sound of heavy blows on the water and a cry of distress from Perk.
All these things happened in much less time than we have taken to describe them. It was probably not more than half a minute from the time that Perk lifted Chase out of the boat until the fight was over, but during that time his triumph had been turned into utter defeat. When Walter and his friends reached the middle of the log the pirogue had disappeared, and there was no one in sight.
Perk had begun to exult over his victory a little too soon. His plan for releasing Chase was a bold one, and the suddenness with which it was carried into execution struck both Pierre and his father dumb with astonishment. They saw the object, which they imagined to be a knot on the tree, spring into life and action, seize their prisoner by his collar and pull him out of the boat, and they never made a move to prevent it. It was not until they heard the sound of Perk’s voice and saw him jump to his feet and run along the log toward the bank, that they seemed to realize what was going on. Then Pierre aroused himself, and after a short fight, during which he received one or two blows from the boy’s hard fist that made him see stars, succeeded in catching him by the ankle and pulling him off the log.
Perk’s sudden immersion in the cold water almost took his breath away, and made him feel for a moment as if every drop of blood in his body had been turned into ice; still he retained his presence of mind and all his courage, and as soon as he arose to the surface, he caught the helpless Chase by the collar, and lifting his head above the water struck out for shore. But Coulte had by this time recovered himself, and he, too, seized Chase and held fast to him. Both boys struggled hard to break his hold, but finding that the old Frenchman hung on like grim death, Perk laid hold of his hair and exerted all his strength to drag him overboard—an undertaking that he would have quickly accomplished had not Pierre snatched up an oar and struck him a severe blow with it. That did the business for Perk. With a cry of pain he released his hold of Chase’s collar, and, as he sank slowly out of sight in the water, Coulte pulled his prisoner into the boat, while Pierre seized the helm and pulled away for the opposite side of the bayou.
“Where are you, Perk?” shouted Walter, running up and down the log, and looking in vain for his friend. “Sing out.”
“What’s that?” exclaimed Wilson, pointing to a dark object which just at that moment arose from under the log, and floated slowly down the stream.